Nursing unit cap having a venting channel



Oct. 29, 19 7 Y. H. KURKJIAN 2,811,270

NURSING UNIT CAP HAVING A VENTING CHANNEL Filed March 28, 1955 INVENTOR yE/F VA/VT Au/P/rJ/A/v 1W5 ATTORNEY United States Patent C) NURSING UNIT CAP HAVING A VENTING CHANNEL Yervant H. Kurkjian, Clifton, N. 1., assignor to Kurk Products Co., Clifton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 497,283

1 Claim. (Cl. 215-11) This invention relates to a nursing unit cap having a venting channel for co-operation with the vent or vents in the flange of a nipple, to facilitate positive venting of the nursing unit through the medium of a minimum number of parts. 7

A further object of this invention is the production of a nursing unit cap having a venting channel formed upon the inner face of the cap in a manner whereby the area around the vent in a nipple flange may be sealed by the cap adjacent the edges of the channel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the nursing unit, certain parts being shown in elevation; and

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the cap showing the venting channel therein.

By referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that 10 designates a conventional nursing unit container having an open threaded neck 11. An elastic nipple 12 having a lateral annular flange 13 fits upon the top of the neck 11, as is shown in Figure l. The flange 13 is provided with a vent 14 which is inset within the neck 11 and passes through the nipple flange 13, as shown in Figure 1. Any suitable number of vents may be used, as desired.

A removable nipple retaining cap 15 is threaded upon the neck 11 and is provided with an inturned flange 16 extending toward the center of the cap and defining a nipple receiving aperture through which the body of the nipple 12 may extend, as is shown in Figure 1. This flange 16 is provided wtih an annular venting channel 17 formed in the inner face thereof in a position to overlie the vent 14 of the flange 13 when the nursing unit is assembled. The formation of the channel 17 in the under face of the flange 16 provides spaced flat sealing faces 18 and 19 upon opposite sides of the channel 17 for sealing engagement with the upper face of the flange 13 of the nipple and upon opposite Sides of the vent 14, as is clearly shown in Figure 1.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Patented Oct. 29, 1957 flange 13 of the nipple will be drawn away from engagement with the sealing faces 18 and 19 thereby permitting air to pass between the flanges 16 and 13, and through the vent 14. When the infant discontinues sucking upon the nipple 12, the flexible flange 13 immediately contacts the sealing faces 18 and 19 of the cap to normally seal the vent 14 and shut off the air through the vent 14. The vent 14 is located in a position so as to, at all times, communicate with the channel 17 and the ends of the vent 14 will therefore be always open and free and out of contact with any obstruction, such as the cap, and the ends of the vent 14 will not have a tendency to become clogged or obstructed. This is true because the faces 18 and 19 of the cap engage the flange 13 at points upon opposite sides of one end of the vent 14 and at a distance from the end of the vent.

It is important to note that in connection with this invention, the essential elements are three in number, first the container 10, second the vented flanged nipple, and third the venting channel cap. This assembly reduces the nursing unit to a minimum number of parts which may be manufactured at a minimum cost, thereby greatly simplifying the unit.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new In combination with a container having a neck, a cap adjustably secured to said neck of said container, said cap having an annular venting channel upon its inner face, said cap having a flange provided with a flat sealing face, a nipple having a neck and a flexible nipple flange, said flexible nipple flange having a vent aperture extending through said nipple flange and inset from the neck of said container and communicating at one end with said annular venting channel of said cap, said flange of said cap overlying the end of the neck of said container to clamp the edge of the nipple flange between the flange of said cap and said neck of said container, said sealing face of said cap flange contacting said nipple flange between said vent aperture and said neck of said nipple to normally close the vent to prevent leakage therethrough, said channel in said cap flange defining an air passageway adjacent said sealing face of said cap flange and communicating with and overlying said. vent aperture to convey air throughout the length of said channel to said vent aperture when said flexible nipple flange flexes away from said sealing face of said cap flange at any point within the length of said sealing face of said cap flange adjacent said channel during the process of nursing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,624,485 Boston Jan. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 860,533 Germany Dec. 22, 1952 

